ABSTRACT

Summary

In view of the presence of components from different engineering domains in a mechatronic system, integrated design of these systems requires a domain-free simulation tool. Bond graphs (BGs) represent a lamped-parameter, domain-free method that provides a core language to represent components in different domains in a unified modeling environment. In addition, it has unlimited growth capability for exploring a wide range of system topologies in an optimization process. This key feature of BGs is used in the development of an evolutionary mechatronic tool, which is illustrated in Chapter 18. The present chapter gives a matrix-based formulation used in the development of a BG simulation tool [1,2]. It is somewhat similar to and inspired by the finite element method. state–space dynamic equations of the system are derived through BG modeling by analyzing the flow of energy between components. The developed tool has the potential to be integrated with SIMULINK® so that the model of the information domain of the system can be integrated into the power domain.